Jack Britton Discussion

Very nice post.

 

Scratch nearly

 

Because of the footage of Greb opponents, all of them trounced, as well as his obvious superiority to even ATG Britton.

 

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Stone hand ,thanks you for posting a picture of a young great Jack Britton...What a record,just ponder this in 344 recorded bouts,with smaller gloves,sans mouthpiece,Britton was stopped just ONCE...Amazing ...He is the Judge Crater of boxing....

 

From what I can determine as yet, this would appear to be the case. Fleischer had a list of 20 year competitors in his 1957 Ring Encyclopedia. At first glance, Britton does stand out among those who began competing more than a century ago.

What's freakish to me though is the level of activity he maintained at an advanced age, along with the fact he didn't get stopped after the week he turned 21. He stuck around 147 pounds even after Walker dethroned him, a situation where contemporaries like Mickey frequently leapfrogged in weight to extend their careers against larger and generally slower competition. So far as I can determine, everybody who did decision him after 1905 had a winning record (including newspaper verdicts). With as many matches as he was performing in at that age, one would expect letdowns against an occasional habitual loser, but this never seems to have happened with him.

From what I gather, Britton remained a box office attraction during his post title years, and knowledgeable fight going fans apparently had enormous respect and affection for him. I imagine them cheering him as the MSG audience cheered Archer against Griffith, as the jabs streamed out to pepper his opponent.

 

Sorry gang but of you peruse proquest historical African american paps you get a pretty clear picture of Britton getting very hard of hearing whenever this chaps name was mentioned.

http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/images/pgans.jpg

 

Back up to post #22.

 

Because we can see how dominant Tunney is on film. Harry handed him the one official loss on his record. Grantland Rice, William Muldoon, Regis Welsh and other ringside observers believed Greb won their second match as well. There is no dispute that this second 15 rounder was closely contested. Take a look at Tunney against Carpentier, Gibbons, Dempsey 2X and Heeney, then consider what kind of competitor Greb was to give him hell on multiple occasions. Some ringside reports also had Harry winning nine of the ten rounds in their fourth meeting. Gene had the best of their third matchup, yet Harry had enough left after Tunney's concentrated body attack to strongly win round 15 according to all accounts. Gene only really dominated their final contest. (Yet three weeks after that beating, Greb got the measure of southpaw Johnny Wilson yet again.)

Beyond that, there also exists (in live sound, no less) footage of a peak Walker. Even Mickey did not dispute that the 31 year old Greb won their 1925 showdown in a situation where observers clearly noted that Harry was in decline, with his legs no longer being what they once had been. (The following month, Greb introduced young whippersnapper Maxie Rosenbloom to big time boxing, flooring and beating the snot out of the poor kid, nearly knocking him out.)

We can see what Loughran was like on film. After Greb lifted the American Light Heavyweight Title from Gene, familiar foe Loughran was the first challenger. Harry beat him clearly over 15 rounds in the most important match of their rivalry. Loughran was young, but he was also a prodigy who had already copped a newspaper draw with Tunney and newspaper win over McTigue.

1922 was a hell of a year for Greb, who beat another Tommy, Gibbons, more decisively over 15 rounds than he would later beat Tunney. (Keep in mind that Gene wanted no part of Gibbons at that stage of his career.)

Harry had already gotten the best of Battling Levinski, Miske and Brennan. Britton was never going to be able to compete with the bewildering array of scalps Greb collected over his career. But for his part, Greb was never going to be able to compete with Jack for longevity either, even with two good eyes, if his legs were already showing signs of slowing at 31.

 

Duodenum,fine piece on Greb and Jack Britton...Greb after his disputed loss to Tiger Flowers in 1926,underwent anoperation to repair a breathing problem,caused by his latest car accident[one of many],and boxing, died after the operation.His peak long passed,and with his remaining eye,fading,I doubt that if he survived the operation,he would have ever returned to the ring...His legendary leg speed,after 300 bouts, long gone...Jack Britton on the other hand had even more fights then Greb,, fought til the age of thirty seven,still competitive, and still never being ko'd since his youth...I think Greb because of his frantic windmill style, expended so much more ENERGY,inone fight then Britton.truly a master boxer,expended in five bouts...Thus Britton's boxing full tilt to the age of thirty seven...In a twist of fate ...One year later Greb's great rival ,Tiger Flowers,also died in a hospital after an operation to remove scar tissue around the eyes...Both great warriors Greb and Flowers were thirty two years of age...Tragic...

 

Russell.I'll try better.I never typed before,and I'm just getting the hang of the internet... I just discovered this ESB forum,and like a prelim fighter,typing with one finger learning the trade....Albeit a little late for a grizzled veteran...B.B.